Revfew's Captain America: Old Habits
by Revfew
Summary: Captain America. Hero, icon. But lost to the world for 69 years. But he has returned. And he's brought a potentially shattering evil with him...
1. Chapter 1

**1944**

Steve Rogers slipped on the cowl, now unfamiliar with its feel and fabric. The cotton texture was a welcome relief to the original wool variant, and allowed for much more sweat intake. He turned, in uncomfortable surroundings, to his friend Bucky.

"You really think this is a good idea?"

"Well, I'm not the kind of guy dresses up for Hallowe'en. Besides, no one'll care."

"It's fancy dress. I can't just go in as skinny Steve. I gotta have zamoose. Y'know? Originality."

Bucky sighed, then chuckled. Steve was dressed up like some kind of bat guy, and at 23 years old should've really known better. Steve was a scrawny guy, the kind of person you knew would fail at gym due to lack of everything. Yet Bucky felt like he had to protect him, like he was a big brother to the weak little Steve.

"Listen, don't...y'know. Don't be drastic. Don't go looking for trouble, you understand?"

"Yes mother."

"I'm not that...oh never mind. Just go, would ya?"

**Present Day**

Nick Fury sighed.

"This Zemo, he ain't the original. Or at least we think. He popped onto our radar six months ago, held a delegate from Latveria hostage before slitting her throat. We don't know where he came from, but we know he isn't docile."

"Why me? Why not some of your guys?"

"You know the Zemo fighting style. Plus, after that much time in the ice you must need some kinda stimulation."

Steve sighed. Just when he thought he was out of it.

**1944**

He felt blood pour down his face from his nose as he continued to fight on against the three bullies. Finding them beating a small kid senseless in an alleyway, he'd felt the need to protect. Needless to say they'd turned on him, but were shooed away by a small man in glasses.

"That bravery...where did you find the idea? Of being stupid enough to fight these men?"

He had an European accent. Steve looked into his eyes.

"I...uh...I just want to beat down the bullies of the world."

"Hmm...yes, yes. Tell me, do you want to serve your country?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I have something for you. How would you like to work for the president?"

"I'd need proof."

"Of course. Hold on."

He came back ten minutes later, and gobsmacked Steve. Next to him walked the president of the United States of America, along with a bodyguard.

"Good afternoon son. I understand you stood up for a child just now."

"Ye-yes sir."

"Well, that's fantastic son. As Dr Erskine may have explained to you, we've got a plan to beat the Germans. It's a painful experience, but you'll gain the physique of Atlas."

"Sign me up, sir."

**Present **

In the middle east of nowhere lay the cave of Well Known Truths. Why it was known as this, Baron Zemo did not know.

Henry Zemo. Not a name, but a rank. And a rank this Zemo had earned. His face was hidden beneath the tight cloth mask, never revealed to anyone. He had taken up residence in the caves to keep his mind clear and pure, to keep his blade skills sharp. He'd slipped up before, with the delegate. A sloppy murder worthy only of a madman. He wasn't mad. He was sane.

He heard the dispersal of sand outside, and creeping to the entrance of the cave he found three men armed and dressed in black. Another man stepped out with them, with a white cape, white combat boots and chalky facepaints. He had a hood raised over his head.

"You Henry Zemo?"

"Who's asking?"

"The name's Taskmaster. We were sent to help you."

"With?"

"The trip to the US. You said to us before that you had a legacy or somethin'."

"That was the last Zemo. However, it's true. So, when do we begin? When do we leave?"

"Now. Like, right now. We gotta blow the cave up though."

The cave of Well Known Truths turned into a fireball as he said this.

"I act prepared." Zemo replied, heading towards a distant jeep.


	2. Chapter 2

**1944 **

Steve felt a cold, metal strap close around him as his pulse began to race. He wasn't sure if he was ready to go through this, despite Erskine's claims he was more than ready.

"Now, this will be like a little pinch."

A needle pricked his arm.

"That it?"

"No, that...that was a protective vaccine."

A giant apparatus, which ended with a glistening needle, was wheeled in. Steve grimaced, feeling nauseous.

"That's some needle, doc."

"Yes, well, we need a big needle for a man with as big a heart as you don't we?"

Erskine smiled, then wheeled over the needle. He looked around at those assembled (the president, and a shrewish man whom had been identified as Ohnn) and nodded, beflre embedded the needle into the back of Steve's neck. He screamed, as an intolerable pain shot down through his spine, and as his muscles began to change and grow. He panted and sweated as his body changed, as his fists and arms gained strength beyond compare. After three minutes, the needle was removed and the strap taken off. Steve stumbled down, feeling dizzy.

"Gentlemen, here is the first super soldier!" Erskine proudly exclaimed to heavy applause.

**Present Day **

Outside the White House, life was normal. Birds sang and people laughed and joked. Inside, however, was different. The president was recording a live message about the threat that had emerged recently.

"Rest assured," he said confidently, his arms crossed behind his back, "the dangers brought to us by the men in the sky, the silver giant and the Iron Man are not going to get us to give in. We will fight on, and stay fighting on for as long as our own strength stays up. My friends, I say to you this: we wi-"

He was interrupted by hell. Outside every single parked car exploded into plumes of fire, as embers hovered into the air. A group of men stormed inside, gunning down the presidential bodyguards and then standing in a guard-of-honour as a figure with a purple mask stormed inside. They wore a heavy jacket and combat gear, and carried a sword at his hip and an Uzi in his hand.

"Mister President, time for you to live out whatever is left of your time of office in the space of three minutes."

"W-w-who are you?!"

"We're the Masters. Now, get up. _Get up!_"

He kicked the president in the ribs, then pointed to the camera and dragged him up. He prodded him in the chest, then pushed him at the camera.

"Speak! Tell the people who you really are! The liar! The man in charge of the biggest lie in history! Those who worked on the ultimate patriot, _the _ultimate patriot himself! The super soldier you created! Tell them!"

"W-what do you want?! I'll give you anything!"

"I just want to see collapse. I just want to see the pathetic world crumble into itself. Now, tell them."

"What he said before...is a lie. We did nothing!"

The president grunted and fell as the Uzi was lowered.

"Oops, finger slipped."

The attacker moved to the camera.

"World, I am Zemo! Watch me soar and drop the atom bombs of chaos!"

He swatted the camera down, shot the people who ran into the room, with help from his men, and then left the room and walked outside where he was met by a squad of SWAT members.

"Gentlemen, I wish I had the time!" he laughed, before a tank-jeep hybrid burst through the armed forces assembled. Zemo jumped inside and lay back, clicking a dial on his belt which caused the roof of the White House to cave in on itself.

**lllllllllllllllllllllllllll **

Steve watched the events unfold on tv, and held his head in his hands.

"The President's in a stable condition. He'll make it." Fury said.

Steve looked into his eyes, and then looked down.

"Listen, Rogers. Zemo wants to hurt the people you fight for. He stands against everything you have. You've gotta knock him down a peg."

"Where's the suit, and where is Zemo?"

"Suit's right here. As for Zemo, we're working on it."

**1944 **

Steve was woken up by the screams of "fire!". He got out of bed quickly and looked outside to see the apartment of Dr. Erskine in a tormenting blaze. He burst outside, just in time to see the apartment explode. A figure walked through the panic in a purple suit. He wore a cloth mask, crimson, which was tightened by a crown.

"Ah, you must be the super soldier! Nice to meet you, I am Baron Zemo. I'm afraid that I have to kill you."

He raised a flamethrower, which Steve dodged as a plume of fire shot at him. He rammed into Zemo's back, which was relatively painless for both men.

"You call yourself a super soldier yet you fight like a boy!"

"At least I don't wear a mask!"

Zemo smashed Steve to the ground, spitting on him.

"At least I don't have the shame of needing someone to make me strong." he hissed, before walking away into the night. Steve groaned, and was helped up by a soldier. One he recognised.

"B-Bucky?"

"Good to see ya, Steve. Wasn't expecting to see you like this."

"Neither was I."


	3. Chapter 3

**1944 **

"Out of the question."

"But sir, with all due respect, this guy, Zemo-"

"Zemo? Forget everything you know."

"Why?"

"...classified."

"Really? Because I can just go out and show myself to the press and tell them that _you, _mister president, have been making super soldiers?"

"They wouldn't believe you, son."

"You can't take the risk."

The president sighed. He leaned forward on his wooden table.

"There is an organisation, called HYDRA. Been working above the Nazis, making weapons of immense power. Zemo is one of the top heads of the organisation. We have reason to believe that Zemo was here to seize the Super Soldier formula from Erskine."

"Did he get it?"

"The apartment was too burnt out to-"

"So yes?"

"Yes. We believe he has it."

Steve sighed. He stood up and looked at the president.

"Let me at him."

The president sighed.

"Fine. But if he's using it on himself, you're not in for an easy time."

"I know, mr president."

"Please, call me Chester."

"I'd rather call you President Philips. That way if either of us die, we don't feel remorse."

He walked outside, but stuck his head back in.

"Where do I suit up?"

**lllllllllllllllllllllllllll **

The scrawny soldier raised the phone to his ear.

"Zemo, sir. Rogers is on a plane heading for you. What number? Eh, Delta 59912387455. It's white, blue markings. Got a guy called Bucky Barnes with him. No, I don't know how that's important either. Ok."

He hung up. Feeling so regretful for the actions, he raised his revolver into his mouth and pulled the trigger.

**lllllllllllllllllllllllllll **

They never saw it coming. The smaller aircraft zoomed next to them, firing against the plane with a "ratatatat croosh". The "croosh" was the result of some important element being irretrievably damaged, naturally.

"We're going down!" Bucky yelled. Below them was the closely approaching glaciated sea of the Arctic.

"Bucky, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have gone! I shouldn't have dragged you along with me!"

"Shut up, we're not dead yet!"

"I'm sorry!"

"I know! We're gonna make it, I-"

**CRASH. **The water enveloped them, as the plane broke up into various chunks. The two men, unconscious, sank, slowly. They would sleep evermore.

**lllllllllllllllllllllllllll **

"Zemo, target's down."


	4. Chapter 4

**Present Day **

Steve wore an adapted military uniform, coloured deep blue with an intersected panel of red and white stripes at either side of the middle of his chest. He wore a slightly tight leather cowl-type semi-mask, which allowed space for his face below the nose and above the neck. On the forehead of his mask was a white "A", while on the sides of the mask were the motif of a small wing. He carried a large circular shield. It had a design of alternating red and metallic-silver-white circles, with a star surrounded by blue in the middle. He had a handgun at his left hip too, just in case.

"Just like the old days." he sighed, before walking out onto the plateau of planes and helicopters. The wind didn't bother him, neither did the noise. He had his mind concentrated only on Zemo.

"Take your pick!"

He turned to see a man approach him. He'd seen his face on TV recently.

"You must be Tony Stark?"

"Yep. You must be Steve Rogers. My dad was one of the people who went looking for you when you became

Captain Fudgesicle."

"Thanks."

Nick Fury walked outside and saw Tony.

"Sorry, gotta run. Haven't got clearance!" He turned and ran, almost slipping. Fury rolled his eyes and walked to Steve.

"You ready?"

"Hope so. Last time I was involved with planes and Zemo, things weren't so great."

"You can take the Sparrow if you want."

"Which is?"

"New tech. Super-fast hover-vehicle, made by Reed Richards. Should get you into DC in three hours."

"Is that possible?"

"With this tech? Of course. Just try and bring it back in one piece. The co-ordinates are pre-programmed, so just get ready to go."

**lllllllllllllllllllllllllll **

Zemo stood high above the city, on the roof of an old office block. Below people seemed disinterested by the man atop the building, too obsessed by their phones and their celebrities to care for others.

"Gentlemen, that is one thing we'll abolish once chaos becomes law: cell phones."

He gestured to two of his armed men. They in turn carried a man to the edge of the building. Zemo tested the sound of his voice before turning on his microphone.

"Good evening Washington DC!"

People stopped and looked up.

"Oh, so you can look up now! No worries! You see, we have Secretary of Defence Bolivar Trask here, and just as a science lesson we're going to see how long it takes him to drop!"

The crowd screamed as Zemo kicked the man off the building. Unexpectedly, he landed with a thud in a semi-opened vehicle. The roof fully opened and the figure inside stood up.

"You must be Zemo. I'm Captain America, and right now I can imagine how angry you are!"

The crowd cheered as Trask was quickly lowered to the ground. Steve piloted the Sparrow back up.

"So, Captain. Or is it Steve?"

"It's mercy. As in, the thing you'll be begging for."

"Oh, I don't know."

Zemo flung himself into the Sparrow, and began to fight. He threw fists repeatedly into Cap, who raised the shield and felt it vibrate. It was made of vibranium, an insanely durable insanely rare metal.

"Heh, so you've got your brawn. But no brains."

"I beg to differ, Zero."

"Well, someone with brains would think of a better pun. And would notice that someone has been stalling you. Because I just got a friend to do this."

A bullet shot the Sparrow, which sent it spiralling down. Zemo was dragged back by cords. He saluted Steve, and got back to the rooftop he had come from. Steve had no choice but to jump out, as the vehicle skidded across the road and crashed into a graciously empty coffee shop. He dusted himself down and ran towards the building Zemo was in, gun drawn.

**lllllllllllllllllllllllllll **

Zemo ran down the stairwell from the roof and into a modern space, wide but sparse.

"He'll be coming here. I want you to stay as surveillance on the roof. I want to send him to death personally."

He drew his sword, and waited.

**lllllllllllllllllllllllllll **

Steve burst into the room and found Zemo waiting.

"So, questions?"

"Are you the other Zemo?"

"No. We pass the title down through person to person."

"Why did other Zemo take the super soldier serum?"

"Not for himself, I can tell you that much. For something much bigger. End of Q&A."

Steve raised his gun.

"You won't fire. The patriot! The man who allowed himself to cheat his own mind, to allow someone else to make him strong! You are nothing!"

"Actually, I'm just stalling. Because someone with a brain would notice there's a plane outside."

Zemo turned around and looked out the row of windows to see a hovering fighter plane. Down the stairwell came Nick Fury, who nodded to Steve. He was followed by Maria Hill and some other agents.

"Zemo, or whatever your name is, I am arresting you for all the stuff that I'm sure you know you did, and you hold all your usual rights."

"Gracefully said."

"Shut up and get walking."

**lllllllllllllllllllllllllll **

Steve sat in a taxi. In got Nick Fury, and the driver got out.

"Is everyone I talk to secretly working for you?"

Fury chuckled.

"You did good. We got Zemo, and granted the Sparrow's gonna need a big repair job, but you still did good."

"I think I'm gonna buy an apartment."

"SHIELD can buy anyone you want."

"Thanks, I guess. And I'll keep the stuff. The shield especially."

Fury nodded and got out. Steve told Fury the address of the apartment he was looking at buying. The driver sped off towards it.

**1944 **

Zemo conferred with Armin Zola as their batch of the Super Soldier serum was injected into the tank through loose-hanging pipes. The skin-head youth inside, only fifteen, began to writhe as the serum interacted with his genes.

"The serum has an unfortunate counterattacking effect on him." Zola sighed, as the boy's skin turned a bright shining red.

**The end.**


End file.
